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Tag Archive | Bhutan

Editor’s Note: The Following was written by Tashi Namgyal about Ven. Sonan, whom we featured in this blog a couple of weeks ago, when she won an Outstanding Woman in Buddhism Award. It was originally published in Bhutan Today (Thurs, April 12, 2012), and is reproduced here by permission.

From a 16 year novice nun, to a master practitioner, and finally, to setting up a first dharma retreat and practice center in Phuntsholing, this is a story of a 34 year old Bhutanese nun, who despised all the materialistic cravings and ventured out to practice “Dharma” as her sole purpose in life, a destination, in today’s modern world is seldom sought and achieved by a Bhutanese women.

Ani SonamWangmo (Venerable Tenzin Dadon), as she is known to the outside world’s quest for spiritualism began when set on the journey of her life, forgoing attending college to join the religious community in 1993 after graduating high school when other girls of her age were fancying going to college, getting a job, getting married, owning houses and cars, and all the glitz and glamour attached to it.

Although being bred in the capital city, Thimphu, for most part of her life, she did not have a slightest inclination towards leading a bureaucratic and aristocratic life as a layman. Instead, she was adamant to pursue her goal at such a young age despite some initial resistance from her family.

Like this:

I am very happy to say that one of the nuns who has been involved in our Support Network from the beginning has just been named as a recipient of an Outstanding Woman in Buddhism Award. Here is a full report by Ven. Karma Tashi Choedron, and we all say a big sādhu to our friend Venerable Tenzin Dadon (Sonam Wangmo) on this memorable occasion.

A Bhutanese nun was among thirteen women who received the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Awards on 2 March 2012 at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Venerable Tenzin Dadon (Sonam Wangmo), 34 from Zhemgang, Bhutan received the award for her contribution to Vajrayana Buddhism, especially Buddhist women in the Himalayan region. Also honoured at this year’s awards ceremony was the Prime Minister of Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra, renowned Buddhist scholar and activist Prof. Dr. Hema Gunatilake from Sri Lanka and Buddhist nuns and laywomen from Austria, Taiwan, Thailand, and Switzerland.